WAVERLEY (MELBOURNE) REDS

Formed by Melbourne’s powerful local club Waverley Wildcats, the Waverley Reds were to become the first “flagship” of the new ABL competition. The Reds were a combination of Waverley stars, blended with mostly established performers from other local Melbourne clubs. The team was highly experienced and did not have a weakness; this was the secret to their near invincibility.

Cincinnati Reds US imports Pete Beeler (catcher) and Carl Grovom (pitcher) were among the finest ever to feature in the ABL and each played their part in the success. Waverley Reds completed a totally dominant inaugural season of ABL competition with a decisive 3-1 Championship Series win.

Waverley Reds could only play the first two games of the Championship series at home due to VFL usage of Waverley Park for pre-season football competition.

Was it “Championship hangover”, or the improvement in the rest of the teams?

Hard to judge, but there is little doubt that the 1990/91 Waverley Reds were a disappointment to their fans who expected a repeat of their inaugural Championship.

Perhaps the highlight of the season for the Reds was the then record home crowd of 11,444 that flocked to Waverley Park on 9 November 1991... an attendance the Reds have sadly not approached since!

ABL legend Jon Deeble joined the Reds when “his” Monarchs went into exile. He was to be voted the Reds’ MVP for 1991.

Teenager Myles Barnden emerged as ABL Rookie of the Year.

US import Mike Anderson was a quality pitcher and All-Star Pete Beeler returned for another very good season.

Reds battle through an “unspectacular” season to finish a disappointing ½ game out of the Championship series action.

Team boss Phil Dale moved from the Cincinnati Reds to Atlanta Braves during the US season and ultimately organised the Reds to change affiliate to the Braves.

We could not complain about our first influx of Braves’ imports that were arguably the best “group” in Reds’ history.

Lion-hearted pitcher Scott Ryder was an honest performer on the mound, while outfielders Brian Kowitz and Kevin O’Connor were perhaps the best pair of US position players ever to join the Reds.

Third place may have satisfied some teams, but not Waverley Reds!

Waverley Reds make a long awaited return to the playoff action in 1992/93 but couldn’t overcome Perth Heat at Parry Field.

The Reds were best served by import pitcher Carlos Reyes who will always rank among the finest pitchers in the history of our league.

Powerful youngster Andrew Spencer emerged as a dangerous hitter and was rewarded with Rookie of the Year honors.

Phil Dale was again voted Manager of the Year for re-shaping the inaugural Champions into a new team with a crop of younger players who would be the stars of the future; among them Aaron Harvey, Scott Dawes and Glenn Reeves.

Dale himself made a controversial transition to relief pitcher and was again an excellent performer on the mound.

Great Reds’ favorites Ronnie Carothers and David Buckthorpe were both released and allowed to join crosstown rivals Melbourne Monarchs.

Little to boast for the Waverley Reds after a “re-building” 1993/94 season.

The Reds again concentrated on their development of young players for the next generation; among them were Michael Nakamura, Ben Utting and Shane Hogan.

The less said about our Atlanta Braves imports the better! Outfielder Pedro Swann with pitchers Michael Place and John Wilder each failed to impress.

The Reds were again best served by their “heart & soul” future ABL legends Phil Dale, David 'Clarko' Clarkson, Matty Sheldon-Collins and Simon 'Spike' Sheldon-Collins.

Waverley Reds become the ABL’s first multiple Champions with the repeat of their inaugural 1989/90 triumph.

The arrival of Australia's major league superstar David Nilsson and outstanding US manager Paul Runge are listed as the key factors behind the Waverley Reds becoming the first team to win a 2nd ABL Championship... but there were other reasons too!!

Lead-off man Adam Burton emerged as a genuine ABL star, providing the “spark plug” for the offence with his own special brand of mayhem both with the bat and on the base paths.

They were superbly served by starting pitchers Phil Dale and US import Dirk Blair who both finished 14-2 and who were also responsible for all four playoff wins.

The dynamic “one-two punch” paced each other through the second half of the season and received some solid support from starter Simon Sheldon-Collins, import Aaron Turnier and reliever Brendan Ratcliffe... arguably the best pitching arsenal ever to grace the Reds’ bullpen.

The Reds finished the season with a stunning 17 game unbeaten streak and a staggering 15 from 16 wins on the road to unseat Perth from first place, then march to the ABL Championship. A celebration to mark our first season at Moorabbin.

The delight of Reds’ fans that greeted the arrival of Australia’s major league star David Nilsson in 1994/95 and the subsequent Championship victory all too quickly turned to grief when David announced he would not return to the club in 1995/96. Equally as damaging was the departure of Adam Burton whose absence deprived the Reds of offensive spark, while he went on to win the ABL batting title with Brisbane!

Suddenly our defending Champion Melbourne Reds were a team in turmoil, having to overcome a disruptive off-season and a modest start to reach the Championship series once again. The team also welcomed the controversial arrival of Perth’s former major league slugger Greg Jelks after a protracted court battle. Jelks may have been our hope to ease the disappointment of Nilsson’s departure and he did perform well for the club towards the end of 1995/96.

The Reds survived one of the all-time great playoff series with two extra-innings epic wins against season dominating Brisbane, but couldn't find enough offence to topple the Sydney Blues “team of destiny” who were hungry for their first ever ABL title. Looking back on a season that will always be clouded by the “David Nilsson saga”, it was a remarkable effort by the team to give themselves another chance at the Championship series.

In the world of sport it is hard to imagine a more “difficult” proposition for a team than that facing the Melbourne Reds in 1996/97. David Nilsson was gone, and Greg Jelks joined him in a shock departure after the Reds had fought so hard to give him the opportunity to play the season before!!

Worse still, club legend, pitching great and original manager Phil Dale stunned the Reds with his decision to join our crosstown rival Melbourne Monarchs. Dale took with him popular outfielder Aaron Harvey, emerging pitching star Damien Moss and our affiliation with the Atlanta Braves... what was left you may ask??

Despite these “mortal blows” our young team did provide some cause for optimism with some bold performances, particularly at home where we went a “relatively respectable” 14-16. We did unearth some promising young pitchers in Matt Gourlay, David McWatters and Rikki Johnson who could each become star ABL “arms” of the future.

Our first season of affiliation with the New York Yankees was far from notable with eight Yankee imports arriving and only one returning home with any credit …. quality pre-Christmas pitcher Greg Resz. Certainly a season to forget!!

Let’s start with the obvious …. LAST TO FIRST – HISTORY MAKERS – TRIPLE CHAMPIONS!!

Reds fans will never forget the exhilarating rise of the team that almost embarrassed us in ’97 to the glory of becoming the ABL’s first triple Champions just a year later!! It is a turnaround that defies all explanation in the modern world of top-level professional sport. I will attempt to piece together the reasons in no particular order:

Maybe most critical was the return of now-established offensive superstar Adam Burton, an original Reds favourite and championship player who had won a batting title with Brisbane. ‘AB’ returned with all of his offensive talents, but also provided the “spark” and “leadership” for the clubhouse along with another established young leader Glenn Reeves.

Next was the unfortunate news for young short stop Ben Utting who may have lost his professional contract with the Braves, but this provided a massive bonus for the Reds, Ben swinging a metal bat for the first time. Ben emphasised again the disadvantage of young professionals trying to match seasoned players with wooden bats against their metal ones! He emerged as a genuine offensive force maintaining a high average while also providing some power and a constant base stealing threat. Then there was the maturing force Jeff Spencer who had his ABL “coming out party” during ’98, showing regular glimpses of his potential with a wooden bat while playing both 3rd and 1st base at different times.

Also arriving from Adelaide was quality hitter Darren White who didn’t quite have the offensive season he might have liked, but he was another important “personality” in the team.

Our affiliate the New York Yankees too came to the party this year, sending out two of the best offensive imports seen during ’98 and two of the best in Reds history; Chris Ashby and Derek Shumpert. This pair helped give the club the “flying start” we needed to restore confidence in ’98 and it is a pity that both had returned to the States by the time the champagne flowed in February. They also provided the regular No.1 starter for the club Jason Beverlin who battled through a tough regular season to emerge as one of the genuine heroes of our playoff triumph.

Of course we still had the ever-reliable Scott Dawes and youngster Andrew Utting to mind the plate, along with dangerous hitters Myles Barnden patrolling third base and Shane Hogan in a utility / DH role.

Some may have derided our pitching depth coming into the season, but they reckoned without the early season efforts of pitchers like Warren May, Bob Hogan and Ben Smith who each gave our offence a chance to win most games. We must not forget David “Simmo” Simpson and Mark “Spock” Respondek who were also stalwarts of the bullpen and most important to the “fabric” of the clubhouse.

Then, of course, we had the field management of Tom Nieto, a highly respected NY Yankees minor-league manager who returned with determination to “put right” the struggles of the club from ’97, superbly assisted by legendary Reds player David ‘Clarko’ Clarkson. They were armed with a much stronger roster than the previous season, but they must also take plenty of credit for “moulding the team” in such a short time!

These factors were enough to make us very competitive and playoff contenders, but it is still questionable whether the ’98 Championship trophy would have “Melbourne Reds” inscribed on it if it were not for the mid-season moves of the club management, challenged by the departure of three imports.

Perhaps sensing a real chance for success and with the courage of their convictions, the club set about recruiting key players Pat Ahearne, Raul Rodarte and David White. Chairman Geoff Pearce said at the time that we had battled well to be in a playoff position and that our search for replacement players was an effort to “paddle hard”, hoping to stay in the Championship race... It proved an accurate assessment!

Ahearne was to become the “ace” of our starting rotation both down the stretch and during our playoff triumph... Enough said! Raul Rodarte (an internet find by Bruce Utting) took some time to convince Tom Nieto of his value, but towards the end of the season he was an integral bat in the lineup, along with his playoff status as “fan favourite”.

Perennial “all purpose pitcher” journeyman David White brought with him vast experience and his hunger for a long-awaited Championship. The Reds helped him get his “ring” and he certainly helped us win our third Championship!

Yes, we had some fine talent, but if ever there was a title built on “intangibles” it was the ’98 Melbourne Reds. The team had strong motivation to erase the memories of ’97 and the personalities introduced to the team surely helped generate the “spirit” needed for success. The Reds faithful who ventured across town to Altona on those balmy days of February ’98 will all have fond memories that they will never likely forget.

The 10-run opening innings against Sydney in the first playoff game set the tone for our series...

Who could forget Burton’s three home runs in that “blowout” game?... Or Jeff Spencer’s 5-hit game!... The home run by Rodarte next day to bring us back to earth and started the kids behind home plate welcoming him with a chorus of “wolf howls” that sounded a bit like Raul!... The determination of skipper Glenn Reeves to “make things happen” at the plate despite his battle for form during the season... The masterly pitching of imports Ahearne and Beverlin against the best hitters in the country... The brilliance of our infield defence led by Burton, Ben Utting, Barnden and Spencer... 

The courageous, faultless efforts of Dawes behind the plate... We can still feel Scotty taking that head-on collision from Cougar import Corey Jenkins, but he hung on to get the big out! What about the closing performances of David White and Bob Hogan in the championship games?... Or the home run heroics of Shane Hogan in BOTH championship games?...

Or the joy of watching Myles Barnden’s 3-run shot sail over the rightfield fence to secure the title!

Ahhhh, those were the days!... we wondered if it would be possible to re-live that kind of glory again?

To the owners, management, players and staff of the 1997/98 Melbourne Reds, we fans will forever be grateful to you for restoring pride to our club and providing us a “roller-coaster ride” that ended with unforgettable moments of sporting magic! Triple Champions and once again the “flagship” of the Australian Baseball League.

There were some "teething problems" with new affiliate Tampa Bay Devil-Rays who didn't supply the pitching strength we needed to be competitive. Import Denis Pujals appeared to be the best of them, but he returned home mid-season to get married... the sort of disruptive action that typified our 1998/99 season.

We were able to crow about the offensive magnificence of Adam Burton who was a dominant player all season, topping the league batting averages and deservedly winning the Australian Baseball League MVP Award. We could also thank the typically "lion hearted" pitching of veteran David White who once again enhanced his massive reputation.

Not much joy to end the ABL decade, but we would be content to be the inaugural ABL Champions and the only team to win the ABL Championship on three occasions.